I know this will sound like whining

[RockyBalboa]

and yeah it is a little bit, I admit that.

However, last nights 3rd quarter officiating of the Jazz/Rockets game is the perfect template of everything that is wrong with the NBA.

After the 5th atrocious foul call in a row, I just started laughing. My brother started rewinding his TiVO to see the "fouls"....every single one...the guy shooting whether that was McGrady or Yao...literally nothing but air,,,they weren't even touched, an 2 of them were late whistles AFTER the Jazz had already got the rebound on a missed shot. And the one that had actual contact was such a blatant and horrible call with Yao bringing the ball upwards into Memo's face...that you couldn't help but just roll your eyes.

Complaining over, and no I'm not blaming the loss on the officials. The Jazz had too many turnovers and let Houston get too many offensive rebounds, and Okur and Kirilenko were once again invisible.

I'm still sticking with the Rockets in 6 games. My guess is the home cooking will be in full force on Thursday at ESA and the Jazz blowout Houston in Game 3.

[TheSizzle36]

Originally Posted by RockyBalboa

and yeah it is a little bit, I admit that.

However, last nights 3rd quarter officiating of the Jazz/Rockets game is the perfect template of everything that is wrong with the NBA.

After the 5th atrocious foul call in a row, I just started laughing. My brother started rewinding his TiVO to see the "fouls"....every single one...the guy shooting whether that was McGrady or Yao...literally nothing but air,,,they weren't even touched, an 2 of them were late whistles AFTER the Jazz had already got the rebound on a missed shot. And the one that had actual contact was such a blatant and horrible call with Yao bringing the ball upwards into Memo's face...that you couldn't help but just roll your eyes.

Complaining over, and no I'm not blaming the loss on the officials. The Jazz had too many turnovers and let Houston get too many offensive rebounds, and Okur and Kirilenko were once again invisible.

I'm still sticking with the Rockets in 6 games. My guess is the home cooking will be in full force on Thursday at ESA and the Jazz blowout Houston in Game 3.

Some of my favorite calls include the aforementioned elbow to the face of Memo from Yao to create space, and McGrady driving AWAY from the basket initiating contact with Fisher (who is leaning AWAY from McGrady) only to go back at the basket after a whistle is blown. Come on you freaking pansy... IT'S DEREK FISHER, YOU DON'T NEED AN ADVANTAGE!!!

[UteStar]

I totally agree. Though I don't think it is a conspiracy out there, officiating is so bad when it comes to the superstars, it becomes just plain silly. I think the Jazz have benefited on this to a point with Malone and Stockton...but it was never as bad as it is with a superstar shooting guard. Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, etc, will always get 2-3 unbelievably phantom calls every game because of who they are.

Yao gets these phantom calls because of his height and the lack of height of the opposition. If a ref sees Yao miss an inside shot badly and he is being guarded by a guy that is half a foot smaller, the natural instinct of the ref is that he must have been fouled. Now, if it was Shaq on Yao, you start seeing that even out and the ref can give the benefit of the doubt to the defender once in a while.

It really is a problem. Kobe is great at making it look like he was just molested on a play...the refs have started to see his flailing and calling him for it...but he still gets away with too many 'what the hell' calls.

[il Padrino Ute]

Quite simply, the NBA sucks.

[RockyBalboa]

As talented as McGrady is, I don't think he's earned the right to be getting the superstar treatment that a lot of other players have.